August 3, 2004
The Big BouncePosted by Bryan
As I went to my netflix queue today, I saw that next on my list was the movie "The Big Bounce."
In honor of the much ballyhooed-but never realized bounce of Kandidate Kerry, I gave the movie a similar reaction to the Senator, and bumped it down my list. In its place is 13 going on 30, which my bride promises me I'll love.
The USA Today attempted in earnest to explain why John Johns' Coming Out Party managed to accomplish not only a total lack of increased interest in the candidate, but also a heightened interest in re-electing president Bush. Some of the explanations given (and I paraphrase, of course):
- Everybody has already made up their mind. This is actually the most sound reason they gave, with a large number of people who have settled on their selection. However, Kerry's lack of "a bounce" may just indicate that some of the people who had previously given Kerry a chance are now changing their mind the more they hear out of him, thus negating any gains the Kandidate may be gathering.
- The Dems were too soft on President Bush. I love this one! Before the Confab, all they could do was talk about how dignified they'd be when they circled their wagons. Then they actually got together and pulled a Heinz-Kerry and gave the third-person-equivalent of "shove it" to him, bad-mouthing him at every turn, both directly and indirectly. Then, when the cold smack on the face of reality stings the resonating truth that not as many people hate the president as do they, they assume the only *logical* explanation is that they weren't vitreol-spewing enough. Classic!
- It's the Terrorists' fault. The line of illogic here is could also be understood as a classic co-dependent/battered spouse syndrome. You see, this thinking supposes that when the US was smacked-down by 9/11, we were all filled with immobilizing fear and dread. Then, as the accusation goes, GWB capitalized on this and exacerbated it, with the war in Afghanistan & Iraq, the Patriot Act, Homeland Defense, No Child Left Behind, NAFTA, and possibly even his little-known Thursday Afternoon Popcorn in the Rotunda Program for White House Support Staff. Thus, we as a dysfunctionally-thinking irrational bride of a bullying Commander in Chief, are too stricken with fear to replace him. This should make you want to re-enact, or at least watch The Burning Bed.
- Keep your Fingers Crossed. The last argument is that much like Pam Anderson's impending press junket for her new novel, "the big bounce" is still waiting to inevitably happen. His campaign manager claimed to have accomplished what was intended, but what else is a campaign manager supposed to say after a completely non-convincing multi-million dollar self-congratulatory PR fest, aside from "You're not going to fire me, are you?"
Of course, this apologetic piece also included the stock inaccurate elements of "unjust war, bad economy, Bush hates women, Laura is OBL's half sister." But they're impartial and Fox News is the evil mouthpiece for the VRWC.
I'm not surprised by the total lack of response following the convention. And you have to be concerned (from a lib perspective) when your futility is held in comparison to George McGovern's back in 1972. And from the group that was hailing the polls prior to the convention indicative of the US disapproval of President Bush, now these polls don't matter, aren't correct, and must be interpreted by six degrees of hypothetical insanity.
I'm not a pundit, which should surprise none of you who reads this space on a regular basis. I'm just an average guy who, like so many others, has sniffed out a fraud in Kandidate Kerry. His bounce never materialized because to this day, he still holds 4 months of service thirty years ago as a trump to 30 years of bad politics that extend into today. He refuses to give a clear statement of vision, just pledging in Cosmo Kramer-like ambiguity, "Oh yeah, I'll do a better job than Bush. I got a plan! Trust me, it's a good one!" He brags about the courage he *will* have, but failed to demonstrate by voting with conviction -- either time -- on the $87 billion for Iraq. What Clinton did masterfully (and yes, it pains me to acknowledge it) by identifying himself as a wealthy American (although it came off a bit smug), Kerry does woefully, trying to camoflage his patrician identity in an 'everyman' presentation.
America has caught on, and Kerry was unable to dupe enough of the populace into thinking the time has come for his entitlement manifesto. I still think the election will be close, because there's enough of a liberal cocktail comprised of people who mistakenly confuse non-confrontation and appeasement as peace, others who would vote for Castro if it meant getting Bush out of office, and people who are impressed and swayed by celebrites with the dazzling acumen to be linked to films like Gigli, thus demonstrating their invaluable insight to recommend Presidential selections.
Kerry's peaked, folks. Oh, he may improve a few percentage points here and there, but the trend has been established. The more people know about John Kerry, the more they like George Bush.
August 3, 2004 3:21 PM